1. Field of the invention
This invention relates to a serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) connector, more particularly to a serial advanced technology attachment connector that can be installed on a housing of a notebook computer for connecting an external hard drive to a mother board of the notebook computer.
2. Description of the related art
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) connector 1 that is installed on a mother board in a housing of a notebook computer (not shown) for electrically connecting an internal hard drive, such as a hard disc drive or a CD (compact disc) drive, through an assembly of a signal plug 12 and a power plug 14. The conventional SATA connector 1 includes a signal sub-connector 11 for mating with the signal plug 12, and a power sub-connector 13 for mating with the power plug 14. Since the hard disc drive in the housing of the notebook computer rotates at a very high speed during data transmission, a relatively large amount of heat is generated in the housing of the notebook computer, which can result in an increase in the temperature of the notebook computer, and which can have an adverse effect on the performance of the notebook computer. Moreover, since terminals on the signal sub-connector 11 and terminals on the power sub-connector 13 are aligned in a longitudinal direction, the conventional SATA connector 1 has a relatively long length in the longitudinal direction.
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a SATA connector that is adapted to be installed on the housing of a notebook computer instead of being installed on the mother board as required by the prior art so as to permit electrical connection of the mother board to an external hard drive and that is relatively compact so as to reduce the length thereof as compared to that of the conventional SATA connector.
According to the present invention, there is provided a serial advanced technology attachment connector that comprises: an insulating housing defining a mounting space therein and having a bottom wall that defines a horizontal plane, and a front open end for access into the mounting space; an insulating signal panel disposed in the mounting space, parallel to the horizontal plane, and having opposite first and second surfaces that are parallel to the horizontal plane; an insulating power panel disposed in the mounting space, parallel to the horizontal plane, and aligned with the signal panel in a first direction that is parallel to the horizontal plane, the power panel having opposite first and second surfaces that are parallel to the horizontal plane; a plurality of first signal terminals, each of which has a contact extension and a leg, the contact extensions of the first signal terminals being laid on the first surface of the signal panel, being parallel to each other, extending in a second direction that is transverse to the first direction, and being aligned in the first direction, the leg extending from the contact extension in a vertical direction through the bottom wall, the vertical direction being perpendicular to the horizontal plane; a plurality of second signal terminals, each of which has a contact extension and a leg, the contact extensions of the second signal terminals being laid on the second surface of the signal panel, being parallel to each other, extending in the second direction, and being aligned in the first direction, the leg extending from the contact extension of the second signal terminal in the vertical direction through the bottom wall; a plurality of first power terminals, each of which has a contact extension and a leg, the contact extensions of the first power terminals being laid on the first surface of the power panel, being parallel to each other, extending in the second direction, and being aligned in the first direction, the leg of each of the first power terminals extending from the contact extension of the first power terminal in the vertical direction through the bottom wall; and a plurality of second power terminals, each of which has a contact extension and a leg. The contact extensions of the second power terminals are laid on the second surface of the power panel, are parallel to each other, extend in the second direction, and are aligned in the first direction. The leg of each of the second power terminals extends from the contact extension of the second power terminal in the vertical direction through the bottom wall.